Alright turn with me in your Bibles to second Timothy chapter 2 second Timothy chapter 2 verse 3 tonight
I want to preach on the subject of enduring hardness and the fact of the matter is we as Christians in our lives are going to
Face hardships the Christian life is not easy now
It's not easy first of all in the respect that we have to you know serve the Lord and that's going to require effort
But I want to talk about three different things that we're going to face in their life that we have to learn how to
Endure three different things that might we might see as difficult in our Christian life
It says in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verse 3 thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ
No, man that wereth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him with chosen him to be a soldier
So the Bible tells us first of all that we are a soldier of Jesus Christ
And it tells us to endure hardness now the Bible constantly talks about how we are fighting a spiritual battle
It says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against
Powers against the rulers of this dark of the darkness of this world and the Bible also says that the the weapons of our warfare
Are not carnal so we're not fighting a physical battle like a actual physical soldier that would go to war and fight in an actual war
But we are fighting a spiritual warfare and the Bible tells us that we are soldiers of Jesus Christ
So there's three different things
I want to look at today of things that we have to endure and learn how to endure
One of them is just over in a chapter 4 if you just want to turn with me to
2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 5
Bible says in verse 5 but watch thou in all things endure afflictions do the work of an evangelist make full proof of thy ministry
Now afflictions would be when somebody's afflicting you or in other words trying to hurt you attacking you in other words
We're going to face persecution in our Christian lives ok that is a guarantee in the Bible
It says over in chapter 3 2nd Timothy chapter 3 verse 12
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution not might suffer persecution
But shall it's a guarantee that anybody who serves God and lives godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution
So we need to learn as Christians to endure through those things because it's guaranteed. It's going to come
Okay, if we're going to serve God we are going to face
Afflictions we're going to face persecution
Another thing is over in James chapter 1 turn with me to James chapter 1 verse 12
The Bible also teaches that we will have to learn how to endure temptations
Okay, not only do we fight a spiritual warfare with the wickedness in high places as the Bible talks about
But the Bible also talks about a war between our flesh and our spirit
says in Galatians 5 that the flesh lusted against the spirit of the
Spirit against the flesh so that you cannot do the things that you would in Romans chapter 7 the Bible talks about
The law of sin that is in my members at worth against the law of my mind
And it says it brings it into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members
So there is the battle between the spirit and the flesh where our spirit wants to serve
God our spirit wants to do that which is right
But our flesh wants to continue to serve sin so we have to also learn how to endure temptation
The Bible says in James chapter 1 verse 12 blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried
He shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that loved him, so we know that's talking about
Being tempted with evil because the context talks about how God is not tempted with evil neither tempted thee any man
So this is talking about temptation of sin we as Christians
You know we still have to struggle with that we will be tempted with sin and again
That's another thing that we have to learn how to endure in our lives
And the third thing that we as Christians will all face is chastening if you just go over a few pages
To Hebrews chapter 12 the Bible says in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 7 if ye endure chastening
God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the father chastened and not so just like we are promised
Persecution if we serve God just like we are promised that we will
Go through temptation and that there's the war between the spirit and the flesh
We're also promised to be
Chastened by God okay, and the Bible says in verse 8
But if you be without chastisement where if all are partakers
Then are you bastards and not sons if somebody's a Christian, and they're not going or somebody claims to be a Christian
They're not going through any chastisement the Bible says they're actually bastards
But anybody who is a child of God is going to face that punishment from God in this life as chastening and again
We have to learn to have the right attitude about that
We need to learn to not throw in the towel
But to actually respond to that chastening in a good way when God punishes us and he disciplines us
We need to go back on the right path, and we need to continue to serve it
So just like if somebody were a soldier and they're going out to a physical war you know they have to face all kinds of
Hardships not only do they have to you know try to strive to win the battle
But they also have to go through you know in many cases extreme heat extreme
cold hunger thirst all kinds of things and
You know these are things that we in our Christian life might even face
but we also have to face a lot of spiritual things as well and
The Bible says be strong in the Lord and the power of his might we need to not give in we do not throw in
The towel we need to be strong and we can only get that from the Lord